ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) is asking its members to recognize drivers that have made an impact on the trucking industry and in their communities and companies over the past year.
The Professional Drivers of the Year awards program was revamped in 2022 with a name change and increased cash prizes thanks to sponsors Cummins, Inc. and Love’s Travel Stops, according to a TCA news release.
The awards celebrate five drivers with a prize of $20,000 per driver and recognition at TCA events and publications throughout the year.
The deadline to nominate is Friday, Dec. 8.
The TCA Professional Drivers of the Year will be recognized at the TCA annual convention on March 23-26, 2024, in Nashville.
“Professional truck drivers are essential to the supply chain and delivering America’s goods safely and on time,” according to the TCA website. “The TCA wants to celebrate and recognize those drivers that are best in class with TCA’s Professional Drivers of the Year program. TCA is looking for those exceptional drivers who have made a significant impact over the past year on the industry, their driver colleagues, their community, and the company that employs them. TCA Professional Drivers of the Year nominees should also have superior safety records, be strong role models and have inspiring stories that have made a difference in their lives and the truckload industry.”
Award criteria
-
Drivers must be employed by TCA carrier member and the nominator must be current driver employer.
-
The application must be completed online and submitted through TCA’s application process.
-
Verification of submitted information will include direct contact with the motor carrier to whom the nominee is under contract and may include credit reports, motor vehicle reports, and other background checks as required.
-
Each company may nominate up to five drivers. However, only one driver per company can be named a TCA Professional Driver of the Year.
-
Erroneous or false information provided in the application will result in immediate disqualification.
-
All TCA Professional Drivers of the Year are responsible for any applicable federal, state, and local taxes associated with the cash award.
-
Truckload Carriers Association shall retain all applications for one year; therefore, no applications or pictures will be returned.
-
Headshot photographs (300 dpi) may be used for publicity purposes if the driver is selected as a TCA Professional Driver of the Year.
-
With due respect for privacy, the contents of the applications that reflect positively upon the trucking industry may be used for promotional, educational, and training purposes by Truckload Carriers Association.
-
The judges’ decisions are final.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
